First International HARTING Open Source Prize Winner: The igus Humanoid Open Platform
This addresses the problem of high cost and complexity in large humanoid robots for researchers, though it is incremental as it builds on existing open-source and 3D printing approaches.
The paper introduces the igus Humanoid Open Platform, an affordable, fully open-source humanoid robot at 92cm designed to lower entry barriers and accelerate research in humanoid robotics, which won the first International HARTING Open Source Prize at RoboCup 2016.
The use of standard platforms in the field of humanoid robotics can lower the entry barrier for new research groups, and accelerate research by the facilitation of code sharing. Numerous humanoid standard platforms exist in the lower size ranges of up to 60cm, but beyond that humanoid robots scale up quickly in weight and price, becoming less affordable and more difficult to operate, maintain and modify. The igus Humanoid Open Platform is an affordable, fully open-source platform for humanoid research. At 92cm, the robot is capable of acting in an environment meant for humans, and is equipped with enough sensors, actuators and computing power to support researchers in many fields. The structure of the robot is entirely 3D printed, leading to a lightweight and visually appealing design. This paper covers the mechanical and electrical aspects of the robot, as well as the main features of the corresponding open-source ROS software. At RoboCup 2016, the platform was awarded the first International HARTING Open Source Prize.